=Arrangement of Billing Machines in Large Business Houses.= In large businesses in the wholesale dry goods, wholesale notions, and kindred lines, special arrangement enables a few billing machines to accomplish a large amount of billing. In these classes of business, it is the custom to call the lot number, class of goods, and the number of yards to the bill-clerk, who in turn enters it on the bill and duplicate. The system used will be described elsewhere. Here it is desired to touch upon the movable-platform idea only. The operator is seated on an elevated platform on which is placed the billing machine and the chair. This platform has rollers, and can be moved in the aisle between two rows of counters on which the goods to be shipped are placed. As soon as the callers call off the lot numbers, description, and quantities of one shipment, the billing machine operator moves the platform to the next lot of goods, which enables him to hear the caller clearly wherever the caller may be. If the bill clerk were permanently located in one portion of the room, he would be liable to make errors through misunderstanding the caller. A scheme which is largely used in those classes of business which demand the "call off system" or, as they term it, "billing from call" is to call off the word _sixty-five_ as if it were _sixity-five_, and the word _fifty-five_ as if it were _fifity-five_. This prevents confusion between these amounts which sound so much alike. Some firms _for sixty-five_ use the term _sticky-five_. =Use of Computing Machines in Connection with Billing.= Many firms use computing machines such as the comptometer for proving the extensions on invoices. With a machine of this character, it is possible to figure all of the extensions. The machine at the same time automatically adds the totals, and, if there are discounts to be taken off the bill, this operation can be performed without clearing the machine. For instance, in the following example: 12 yards lace 50 $6.00 15 yards ruching 10 1.50 24 doz. hdchfs. 12.00 288.00 ------ $295.5 25% 221.63 By _clearing_ the machine, is meant pulling the handle which returns all of the wheels to _0_ for the beginning of a new computation. Without desiring to enter into the mechanical merits of adding machines, either listing or non-listing machines, it is important to touch upon the various arguments used in favor of billing machines with adding attachments and without them.